HMDT Music’s Music Treehouse is shortlisted as a finalist in the Music & Drama Education Awards 2022 for Excellence in SEN/D!

HMDT Music’s Music Treehouse is shortlisted as a finalist in the Music & Drama Education Awards 2022 for Excellence in SEN/D for its work in 2020-21.
“This is a fantastic achievement and recognises the quality and innovative nature of the work you and your team are doing.” – Music & Drama Awards Team

 

Music Treehouse is HMDT Music’s SEN/D programme which offers free weekly creative music-making and music therapy for children with a wide range of mild to severe, profound and complex needs including developmental disorders, mobility issues and ASD non-verbal as part of its Saturday Programme.

 

The uncertainties of Covid were particularly difficult for SEN/D children and their families last year, with so many of their support structures not functioning and schools closed and so keeping Music Treehouse going throughout the year was essential. Having initially offered a series of specially made videos for children to enjoy at home we moved to zoom sessions.

 

We would like to say a big thanks to Tim for his online videos. Our son is really enjoying them. 

 

Once all children had access to an instrument, (delivering them as needed), we continued to offer weekly sessions to each group and 1:1 music therapy. Despite the difficulties of working over zoom; technical difficulties of sound, limited equipment and WiFi costs for many families, we continued to engage around 50 participants across the year.

 

C was ecstatic – she loved her online session!

 

When we returned to distanced sessions in the summer at our home Bridge Academy in Hackney, many shielding joined online from home or continued 1:1 online therapy sessions, alongside those attending in person. We then continued the programme online across the summer holidays.

 

K has loved coming to Music Treehouse. He’s grown from a 10 year old who joined to a cheeky teenager! Thank you Music Treehouse and Sylvia for helping K to grow into this confident young man! It’s been great to be able to continue this in lockdown.”

 

The impact has been immense; empowering participants to actively take part in, contribute to and take ownership and pride in music-based activities, developing their social engagement and abilities to respond and communicate. Despite the complexities of the year we’re delighted that Music Treehouse has significantly helped young people improve their well-being and develop their creative expressive and key life-skills through music:

 

Thank you for everything, it’s brilliant and a real life line and we really appreciate all the hard work it must be.